


Broken Chains

by TheAwkwardStar



Series: Sora-Xehanort Saga [3]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Castle Oblivion (Kingdom Hearts), Game: Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories, Gen, Not Canon Compliant, Spot the hidden character ;), i'm on a roll
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-21 18:45:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13747050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAwkwardStar/pseuds/TheAwkwardStar
Summary: Kairi teams up temporarily with Donald and Goofy to find Riku, Mickey, and Sora.What they find...is not what they expected.Set during Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories.





	Broken Chains

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be pretty short. I wanted to experiment with Sora's altered personality and see what happens if Kairi becomes the focal character. And I started playing CoM for the first time, so why not?
> 
> (I guess this is my definition of 'short'. 7,089 words. To be fair, the original is kinda confusing too.)
> 
> You don't need to read this one, since it won't be mentioned in the next story I make. Not like you'll remember it. ;)

Kairi was lying down in a large field of flowers. The wind rustled her hair as well as the petals surrounding her. She swung her keyblade listlessly as she looked up at the stars. They seemed especially bright tonight, which made her smile a little. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

When she opened them, she couldn't see the stars anymore. A dark figure loomed above her. She gasped and fearfully aimed her keyblade at it. She squinted her eyes to get a better look at who it was.

"...Sora?"

She blinked, and he was gone. Kairi sat up and placed her keyblade in her lap. She frowned as she tried to process what she'd just seen.

"Hey, Princess!"

Kairi looked over at Donald, who gave her a worried look.

"Are you ok?"

She nodded. "...You can call me 'Kairi'. I'm ok with just that."

Goofy chuckled. Donald glared at him.

"What are you laughing for?! I was just trying to be respectful!"

"Gawrsh, Donald, ya don't need ta be! She's a regular kid. It's like when ya started callin' Mick 'Your Majesty'."

Donald grumbled and crossed his arms. Kairi giggled.

"Anyways, ya looked pretty scared for a moment, Kairi. What happened?"

Kairi crossed her arms.

"You mean....you guys didn't see anything?"

Goofy and Donald looked at each other, then back at her. They shrugged.

"Nope! What was it?" Donald asked.

Kairi rubbed her head.

"...I'm not sure. I thought it was one of my friends....but I guess I just imagined it."

"Hey, it's Pluto!" Goofy smiled.

Kairi suddenly felt something jump onto her. It was a yellow dog. He barked happily and licked her face. She laughed a little.

"Hey, that tickles!" She gently pulled him off and noticed a letter in her lap.

"What's this?"

Donald swiped it from her and inspected the letter.

"...Wak!!! It's from the King!!! See?!" Donald pointed at the seal, which looked like mouse ears. He tore it open and read the letter.

"What does it say, Donald?" Goofy looked at it curiously.

"...It says he's at a place called...Castle Oblivion." Donald crossed his arms.

"Do you think Riku and Sora are there, too?" Kairi inquired.

"It's worth lookin'. I think." Goofy scratched his head.

"Then let's go already! Pluto!" Donald pointed at the dog. Pluto tilted his head, panting.

"If you know where Mickey and this castle is...take us there!"

Pluto wagged his tail and barked. He stood up and ran past them, following one of the trails. Kairi, Donald and Goofy chased after him. Kairi had a determined look on her face.

_Sora....Riku....I'm coming for you._

\------------

"Vexen!!!"

Larxene huffed and put her hands on her hips.

"...Where _is_ that massive nerd?"

"I CAN hear you, you know."

Larxene turned around. Vexen glared at her icily.

"I am a very busy man. What could you possibly want to complain about?"

"I was just letting you know that there are people coming to this castle. They're outside right now!"

"What??? How could anyone have reached such a secluded location?!? Unless...."

Vexen stormed over to one of his computer monitors and typed in a command. The screen flickered for a second, then showed three people approaching the door as one more stayed behind. His initial surprise was replaced by a an eerie grin.

"Who is it? Did the others figure us out?!?"

"On the contrary, Larxene. It appears we have...unexpected guests. Let them come." Vexen put his arms behind his back. Larxene raised an eyebrow.

"...And bring Sora in. I've had an epiphany." Vexen sneered.

Larxene scoffed and shook her head. "Alright, fine. Whatever." She opened a portal and left through it.

He laughed as he placed a hand on his mouth.

"...A Princess of Heart, coming here...how very intriguing. I'll have to see how we can...make use of her."

\---------

"Hello? Anyone home?"

Kairi slipped through the entrance as Goofy and Donald came in after her. They all looked around.

"This place is kinda creepy..." Goofy looked around nervously.

Donald rubbed his head. "It's giving me a funny feeling..."

"That's because the three of you shouldn't be here."

Kairi summoned her keyblade. Goofy and Donald stood beside her. The figure in a black coat slowly raised his hand and pointed at Kairi.

"The memories within your heart...how important are they to you?"

Kairi inhaled sharply. "Very important. What do you want?"

"...You need not be so defensive. I couldn't tamper with your memories, even if I wanted to. _Her_ gift only works with...another."

Kairi's eyes widened. "...Do you know where Riku and Sora are?"

"...That is something you must discover for yourself." The figure threw something at Kairi. She grabbed it.

"Enter the first room and make your way through the castle....if you dare."

"Hold on!" Kairi ran towards the figure, who vanished within a flurry of rose petals. Kairi kneeled down and picked one up. She then looked at the item in her other hand.

It was a card. The image of a world was on it.

"That's...Traverse Town!" Donald exclaimed.

"You guys have been here before too?" Kairi said.

"Yup!" Goofy nodded. "We were lookin' for the keyblade weilder, since King Mickey asked us to!"

"Keyblade weilder?" Kairi looked down at her own. 'Destiny's Embrace'. She wasn't quite sure what that name meant, or why it popped into her head one day...but she did know that that was its name.

"...Gawrsh, I guess that means there's three of ya now! You, Riku, and, uh..." Goofy rubbed his head.

"...Sora." Kairi smiled as she gripped her keyblade tightly. She nodded silently to herself.

"...Okay. I'm gonna open the door. But he didn't tell me how to use the card..." Kairi lifted it up into the air and stared at it, right in front of the door. She gasped as it flashed with a powerful light. She covered her eyes.

She heard a creaking sound. Kairi lowered her arm as the light faded. The door was wide open. She cautiously took a few steps forward. Donald and Goofy reached out to her anxiously. They all yelled when they were suddenly drawn inside by an invisible force.

"Donald! Goofy!" She cried out. There was no response.

And for a moment, everything went white.

\-----------

Everything hurt.

It was a mistake to let Ansem and the darkness consume his heart a second time. But he had no choice.

He had to do it. For all of the worlds. For the innocent people who lived in them. For his friends...

....He wondered how long he could trick himself into thinking that.

Riku's eyes snapped open. He was lying on the ground of a strange, white room. He sat up and looked around.

_...Where am I....?_

"It's about time you woke up."

Riku turned his head towards the source of that low, gruff voice. It was a large, muscular man wearing a familiar black coat. Riku stood up.

"Who are you?"

"...That is no concern of yours." The man crossed his arms.

"I do wonder how you ended up here, of all places...our leader was very curious to see what would happen to you."

Riku summoned his keyblade.

"If you're looking for a fight, I'll challenge you. Otherwise, get out of my way."

The man smirked.

"...Ridiculous. I have no quarrel with you. But there is someone else who does."

He disappeared into a dark portal. Someone much smaller had been standing behind him. Riku bared his teeth and got into a fighting stance. The hooded figure summoned their own weapon. Riku's eyes widened.

"...A keyblade?"

Riku gasped as the hooded figure disappeared. He bent over when the hooded figure reappeared in front of him and almost sliced his head off. Their weapons crackled with energy as they hit against each other. Riku pushed the figure back hard enough for him to skid across the floor. The figure darted towards him again. Riku blocked each rapid attack with incredible accuracy, then kicked the figure to the ground. Riku pinned the figure down by the arms.

"Who are you?!" Riku quickly grabbed the hood and pulled it off. He froze.

"...S...Sora???"

His friend's skin was darker than before, and so were the bags under his eyes. His hair was borderline white, with a few strands of brown in it. Riku's heart ached at the sight of Sora's yellow eyes. He looked so... _angry._

Riku felt Sora's fist collide with the side of his face. He recalled accidentally letting go to pull off the hood in the first place. The force of the imapct was enough to send Riku reeling back as his head throbbed in agony. Everything was blurry. He was conscious enough to see Sora roughly push him off and stand back up.

"S-Sora...wait..." Riku extended his hand weakly towards his friend.

"......." Sora opened a portal and started walking towards it, but not before glancing back at Riku with a murderous gleam in his eyes. He could do nothing but watch as Sora disappeared.

"Man, that was _rich!"_

Riku looked over at a man with red, spiky hair. He was clapping his hands and laughing.

"Did you see the look on his face? He was _so_ ready to kill you!"

Riku gritted his teeth as he felt raw anger swelling up inside him. He winced as he clutched the side of his head and got up with some difficulty. He felt nauseated as the world tilted back and forth.

 _"What did you do to him???"_ Riku breathed in as the side of his head throbbed again.

"Easy there, little snowflake. You'll pass out if you stress too much."

"Just. Answer me!" Riku growled.

"Ok, ok! Sheesh. You kids are so impatient..." The man walked over to Riku and kneeled down, facing him directly.

"For the record, _I_ didn't do anything. We just happen to have a little trump card under our sleeve that can dig around in your buddy's memories and...how to put it lightly..." Axel curved his lip.

"... _Play_ with them. Just a tad." Axel squeezed two of his fingers together. "For all you know, he might be thinking that you're the reason why he's turning into a trigger-happy maniac. And is his condition... _reversible?_ Pfft. I have no idea!" Axel raised his arms up.

Riku tried punching him. He missed. The man frowned.

"You'd better watch it, kid. Keep doing stuff like that, and you'll be dead before you can even reach the second floor." He turned around and started heading up the stairs.

"And by the way...the name's Axel. Get it memorized." Axel tapped the side of his head.

Riku fell to the ground. He clutched his head.

"...This is all my fault..."

\-----------

"....Kairi.....Kairi.....!"

"Kairi!"

Her eyes fluttered open.

"...Mmm...?" She looked at the person that was carrying her. She placed both hands on her mouth.

"Sora!!!" Kairi hugged him around the neck. Sora grinned and laughed nervously.

"I guess you really missed me, huh?"

"You big dummy..." Kairi lightly punched his shoulder. "I've been looking all over for you!"

"...By the way, you can put me down now."

"Oh! R-right." Sora let go of her gently and rubbed his head. Kairi looked around in awe.

"...That's crazy. That card really did send us to Traverse Town." She suddenly gasped.

"Wait! Where's Donald and Goofy?"

She heard the two of them snickering. They were next to a strange door.

"Once you guys came through that door, I saw you pass out. So I came to help, and I got to talk to them for a while. These guys are great!" Sora put his arms behind his neck as Goofy patted his back. Donald turned his head away and smiled a little, tapping his foot.

"You mean...you've been here for a while already?"

"Yep!" Sora rubbed his nose and smiled.

"Maybe we should leave you two lovebirds alone." Donald chuckled as Kairi's face turned red.

"Come on! I told you to stop teasing me like that whenever I talk about my friends!" Kairi huffed.

"It's ok, Kairi. They're just messing around." Sora shrugged.

Kairi sighed. She took a good look at Sora for the first time since she'd woken up.

"...Your eyes are still blue. And you're wearing your normal clothes again."

Sora looked down at himself, suddenly more self-conscious.

"...Huh. I guess I am!" Sora seemed to be a little confused.

"Sora...what's the last thing you remember?" Kairi placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Umm..." Sora scratched his head.

"...I was...at Hollow Bastion. With you!"

Kairi looked down. "...That is the last time we saw each other."

"...So you _did_ manage to escape from that Heartless that took you. How?"

Sora tried to concentrate and remember the last thing that happened. But once he pictured his small reunion with Riku and Kairi...his mind would go blank past that.

"...I...dunno. I can't remember."

Kairi gave him a concerned look. How was that possible? How could he have no memory of where he went or what he did after Hollow Bastion?

"...Something's really screwy here." Donald crossed his arms.

"How about we just keep going, then?"

Kairi, Donald and Goofy looked over at Sora, who seemed a bit surprised by all the attention.

"...It's just a suggestion. But if we do keep going, we're bound to find some answers...right?"

Kairi smiled and nodded.

"That's not a bad idea at all. We'll just need to be careful. How does that sound?" She glanced at Donald and Goofy.

"It's worth a shot! Count me in!" Goofy chuckled.

"Oh, boy...I guess I'm in, too." Donald sighed.

"Then it's settled. Come on!" Sora ran towards the next door. Kairi and Goofy went after him, while Donald straggled behind from hesitation.

"This is a bad idea...WAACK! Wait for me!!!" Donald sped up as they went through the glowing door.

\----------

"How are things looking so far, Axel?"

Axel glanced over at the boy that was slightly younger than him. The muscular man from before narrowed his eyes.

"Relax, Zexion. Everything is under control. And stop looking at me like that, Lexaeus."

"It would help if you didn't omit information all the time. Like what Marluxia is really planning." Lexaeus grimaced.

"...You know as well as I do that the term 'double agent' doesn't mean that I blab about everything I know. Plus, it's fun to see you guys squirm."

Lexaeus grunted. Zexion placed a hand on his chest to stop him from moving.

"Enough. We cannot allow our animosity towards each other ruin the plan."

They heard the door in the room close. They turned their heads and saw Sora, still wearing his hoodie to obscure his face. A shorter girl with blonde hair winced as he was squeezing her arm. She gripped a notebook in her other arm tightly.

"Well, if it ain't the life of the party and the witch!" Axel grinned as he walked towards them. He snatched the notebook out of the girl's hand and flipped through the pages.

"Looks like you've been busy...Namine. But not busy enough." Axel dropped the notebook on the ground. She kneeled down and scrambled to get it, pulling away from Sora.

"Why haven't you gone for his core memories yet? Those are the most important, you know."

Namine lowered her head. "I can't do that."

_"Why not?"_

"Because it will _break him._ Why can't you understand that?"

Axel stared at Sora with disinterest.

"He looks fine to me."

"Well, he's not!!!" Namine shouted. "If I tamper with his memories too much, he will break both physically AND mentally. His heart will shatter because he will lose who he is. He cannot function without at least a piece of who he used to be!!!"

"Then we'll use his Nobody! We don't have to worry about his heart shattering that way! He won't _have_ one!" Axel protested.

Namine placed a hand on her mouth, eyes wide as if she was seeing something horrible that no one else could. She took a few steps back and shut her eyes.

"That...cannot be done anymore. Sora...became one with him before he had the chance to truly exist like us."

Axel looked between her and Sora. He rubbed his head and made a face as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"...Ohh....jeez. This kid's pretty messed up, isn't he...?"

Namine took Sora's hand and pulled him towards the door. He didn't protest.

"...Just leave us alone. I've done enough damage, and he doesn't need more from you..." Namine's voice quivered slightly.

The door slammed shut. Zexion hummed.

"...Axel. You are terrible with children."

\-----------

"All right! Only one floor left to go!"

Sora fist pumped out of excitement. Kairi, Donald and Goofy laughed.

"I can't believe you fought Larxene all by yourself, Kairi! You were all like... _Woosh! Bam! Pow!_ And you froze her two hairs into popsicles!"

"You're welcome for the magic, by the way!" Donald pouted.

"Thanks, guys. I wouldn't have done it without all of your support." Kairi smiled, then looked a little sad all of a sudden.

"I hope I didn't hurt her _too_ badly...even if she is the enemy."

"Nah, you just scared her off! She yelled a bunch of nasty words I didn't recognize before she teleported. One of 'em was...it started with an f..."

 _"Ok that's enough!"_ Donald covered Sora's mouth.

"Uh, guys?"

Kairi looked at Goofy, then turned her head to see what he was looking at. It was another door.

"It's the last one." Kairi looked down at the card she was holding. It was an unfamiliar world.

"I wonder what this place is..." Goofy said. Donald and Sora were looking at the card as well.

"...Well, let's find out."

Kairi opened the final door and went inside, the others following closely behind her. They found themselves in a plaza with railroad tracks and a few stores nearby. The sun was setting, giving the entire area a pale orange glow.

"It's so quiet and peaceful here..." Kairi closed her eyes as she listened to the muted sound of a train moving along the tracks somewhere else. She suddenly felt like drawing something.

"Kairi?"

She opened her eyes and blinked a few times. She looked over at Sora, Donald and Goofy. They seemed worried.

"...Sorry! I just spaced out for a second..." She smiled nervously. They didn't seem convinced.

"I'm fine, really! Let's keep going."

Kairi sprinted forward. The others went after her.

"Man...I'm hungry."

Donald looked at Sora incredulously.

"We haven't eaten since we entered this stupid castle and NOW you want food?!"

"Come on! I don't even know how long I've been here compared to you guys!" Sora argued.

"He's got a point. Maybe we should look for something to eat around here...Sora, is there something you w-"

"Ice Cream."

Kairi was startled by his abrupt response.

"...You want....Ice Cream."

Sora nodded. "...I dunno. I'm kinda in the mood for it. Is that weird?"

Kairi shook her head. "After everything we've seen...that's the most normal thing anyone has said so far."

They all searched around the town for a place that sold ice cream. To their surprise, there was a cart vendor dedicated to selling nothing _but_ ice cream. The only downside was that there was only one flavor in stock.

"...Sea-Salt Ice Cream. Sounds gross." Donald stuck out his tongue.

"Hey, don't knock it till you try it!" Sora smiled.

Donald rolled his eyes. "...Fair enough."

Kairi miraculously had been holding onto a munny pouch, and there was just enough for them to buy three and get one for free, since one of the ones Kairi bought was apparently a 'WINNER' stick. Once they each had one, they found a small curb and sat down. Sora was the first to eagerly take a bite.

"...Salty, yet sweet. I like it!" Sora grinned and took another large bite.

Donald scrunched up his beak in disgust for a few seconds when he bit into his, but he eventually tolerated it. Goofy bit the entire thing off, nearly swallowing the stick. Kairi chose to simply lick hers.

"...This is nice. Just sitting with some friends, watching the sun set..." Sora's expresson became solemn.

"...I miss it."

Kairi placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned and looked at her. She was smiling.

"We'll get to do this again when we get home. I promise."

"...I'm gonna hold you to that." Sora chuckled as Kairi nudged him.

_"...How sweet."_

Kairi turned her head and gasped when she saw a man with long, brown hair in a black coat.

"...And how foolish of you to trust so easily, _Princess."_

She attempted to pull out her keyblade, but she suddenly couldn't move. Goofy and Donald were stuck as well. The only one who still seemed capable of moving....was _Sora._

He got up and grabbed the man's coat.

"You said you wouldn't hurt them!!!"

Vexen sneered.

_"...I lied."_

Sora's eyes went dull suddenly. He collapsed. Kairi tried to scream, but nothing came out. A portal opened and a small girl in white stepped out with a saddened expression. She looked at Kairi.

"...I'm sorry...."

Kairi saw the ground underneath her turn black. She started to fall into the darkness, along with Donald and Goofy.

"Excellent work, Namine. Keep this up and we might actually consider setting you free." Vexen disappeared.

Namine felt a tear fall down the side of her face.

"...No. You won't."

\-------------

Kairi woke up. She looked around and realized that she wasn't in the town anymore. She was in a white room with a table in the center. She pushed herself up with her arms, which ached for some reason.

"...It's good to finally meet you...Kairi."

Kairi pulled out her keyblade when she noticed the blonde girl in the room. A hooded figure stood in front of her and summoned a keyblade of their own. Namine sighed and lowered the hooded figure's arm.

"There's no need for that. I'm not going to hurt you. And please stop trying to attack anything that moves...Sora."

"...Wait. That's..?" Kairi's eyes dilated.

"Yes. This is the real Sora. The one that's been traveling with you this whole time...was a Replica."

"...He felt so much like him..." Kairi placed a hand on her chest.

"Some of Sora's memories were sampled in order to create him. So it's understandable that you felt that way. But in the end...he's just not the real thing."

Kairi sat down in a chair, struggling to process everything. She rubbed her forehead.

"...Your name...is Namine, right?"

Namine smiled a little and nodded.

"...I wish we could have met under better circumstances...but it can't be helped. I'm a prisoner here. The only comfort I have is when I draw." Namine picked up her notebook. She walked over to Kairi and placed it in her hands.

Kairi flipped through the pages. She recognized almost all of these drawings...aside from the last one. A scribble of a charm that looked vaguely similar to her own, and a colored drawing of Namine holding hands with Sora.

"U-um..." Namine noticed that Kairi was staring at the final drawing for too long. She took the notebook back.

"I can just...destroy this one. It's the one that started all of this..."

Kairi's eyes widened as Namine sniffed and rubbed her eyes. Tears were streaming down her face.

"...You...aren't like the others at all. Are you?"

Namine shook her head.

"...I'm a witch, with power over Sora's memories. I don't know why I have this power...but I've grown to hate it. All I've done is make a broken boy hurt more than he already has..."

"......." Sora lowered his head.

Kairi looked down. "...Tell me. When did this all start happening? I want to help."

Namine took a deep breath.

"...About a month ago. I woke up in this castle and the Organization found me. Once they learned of my power, Xemnas sent Sora to the castle as well. We met and hit it off as friends pretty easily. That's just how he is."

Kairi smiled. "That's the Sora I know."

Namine winced.

"Everything was fine...until I started rearranging his memories a little." Namine stared off into the distance.

"...He started having nightmares more frequently. He couldn't sleep for days on end, even when I stuck around. There were times...when he even asked me what his name was...'to make sure'. But there was a moment where I almost tipped him over the edge and shattered his heart. I tried tampering with his memories...about you and Riku."

Kairi's eyes widened.

"...He started screaming something about a war and a weapon called the X-Blade. When I tried to calm him down, he almost..." Namine shuddered.

"...I fixed those memories before the damage was permanent. Sora's become convinced that Riku is to blame for some reason, though, and I can't change his mind. And the Organization still wants me to alter Sora's memories further. I don't know what to do...."

Kairi grabbed both of Namine's hands. Namine looked up in surprise.

"...We'll get out of here. All of us, together."

Namine opened her mouth to say something, but she was cut off by the sound of the door.

"WAAAAK!"

"YAAHOOHOOOEY!!!"

Donald and Goofy were tossed inside the room, tumbling over each other. Lexaeus grunted.

"Try escaping again. See what happens." Lexaeus slammed the door behind him and locked it.

"Goofy! Donald!" Kairi ran over to them. "Are you ok?"

Donald yelled angrily and shot up from the ground. He ran towards the door and started knocking furiously.

"Come back here, you oversized brick wall!!! I'm not finished with you!!!"

Donald yelped when a gloved hand grabbed his arm. He glanced back and saw that it was Sora. He looked very different from when they first met.

"...Don't do that." Sora released him. Donald rubbed his arm, which ached a little.

"You spoke."

Sora looked over at Namine.

"...I never stopped being able to."

...Then...why did you stop talking to me...?"

"You know why."

Namine rubbed her arm and stared at the ground.

"...Ok. I deserved that."

"Sora?"

He winced at the sound of her voice. Hesitantly, he looked at her. Kairi started to approach slowly as Goofy and Donald stood nearby with their weapons.

"...You're not just an illusion I made up. Or a copy. Are you?" She extended her hand towards him and pulled off his hood.

She jumped as he reflexively grabbed her arm. He quickly released it. Kairi gave him a pained smile as she got a good look at the damage.

"It's ok, Sora. You don't need to be afraid."

Sora reached into one of his pockets. He pulled out something. Kairi's eyes lit up.

"...You held onto it. After all this time..."

She remembered something that happened what felt like ages ago. They were both 4 years old. Sora had been ranting about how he was about to off on an 'adventure'. His eyes were a bright green at the time, with yellow and blue hues around the iris. In response to his rant, Kairi gave him a Wayfinder she made out of seashells. She liked the way it looked after a lady had shown it to her at her old home. It was the only memory she had of that place.

 _"It's my lucky charm."_ Kairi placed it in Sora's hand and closed it. She poked his chest. _"Be sure to bring it back to me!"_

Sora laughed and rubbed his head with the same clueless expression he always had. Kairi put her hands on her hips.

_"Ok. Promise."_

Kairi started to sob. Her teardrops fell onto the charm as they both held onto it. Sora pulled her into a hug. Goofy and Donald looked at each other and smiled, then looked back at the two children. Namine smiled a little as well.

The moment ended when they heard a small knock om the door. It then swung open. Axel was standing there with a grin on his face. Kairi saw Sora's replica standing uneasily behind him.

"How _touching."_ Axel mockingly placed his hands on his chest. "Just a few months of seperation and it's already a _Sob Fest."_

"Axel, just leave them alone..." the replica grabbed Axel's arm. He pulled away from the small boy.

"Ah ah, I'm not finished. Run along, kiddo." Axel ruffled the replica's hair and pushed him away from the door.

He pointed at Sora and Kairi, then at Namine.

"You three are coming with me. Orders from the guy running this place."

Namine's eyes widened. She started to back away.

"...No! I won't go to him! I know what Marluxia wants, and I _refuse_ to be a part of it!"

Axel looked down at a keyblade that was dangerously close to his chest. Sora was glaring at him. Axel rubbed his head.

"...You always gotta take the fun out of everything, don't you? That's why I like your copy better."

Axel raised his hand and snapped. Sora screamed as he burst into flames.

_"SORA!!!"_

Kairi ran to Sora and caught him before he fell. There were several burns on his skin. Kairi teared up as she caressed his head.

"Oh, relax. He's not dead. Just unconscious. It'll take a lot more than that to kill one of Xehanort's vessels."

Namine stared at him in disbelief. _"What????"_

Axel covered his mouth.

"...Oops. I guess I said too much. Oh well."

Axel smacked Namine and Kairi with his chakrams. They both passed out. Goofy and Donald ran towards him shouting angrily, only to be blocked by a wall of fire.

"Jeez. I don't get paid enough for this. Everyone's just so... _touchy._ Hey, Copycat!" Axel picked up Namine like a ragdoll and tossed her at Sora's replica. He grabbed her frantically before she hit the ground.

"...Keep holding onto her. I've only got two hands." Axel kneeled down and lifted up Sora and Kairi. He walked through a portal with the replica following behind.

\-------------

"Rise and Shine, Princess."

Kairi groaned and rubbed her head. She got up and realized that she was in a dark room. She couldn't see anything.

"Sora? Namine??" Kairi cried out.

Kairi covered her face as a gust of wind spun around her. She noticed the rose petals. She frowned and summoned her keyblade as the man from before appeared in front of her. He smiled and swished his pink hair.

"So nice to see you again."

"You're Marluxia, aren't you?" Kairi jumped back and got into a fighting stance.

"Let my friends go, or you'll be sorry!"

Marluxia laughed. A massive scythe manifested in his hands.

"...Very well."

Kairi gripped her keyblade tightly as the wind grew stronger. Marluxia was floating above the ground.

"As lightless oblivion devours you...drown in the ever-blooming _darkness!"_

Marluxia vanished. Kairi looked around desperately, but there was barely any light to see what was happening. She narrowly avoided Marluxia's first attack as he attempted slashing her back. Kairi threw her keyblade and watched it spin around her. She heard a grunt as it hit something. Kairi jumped up and grabbed her keyblade, then struck downwards. She saw a trace of Marluxia's hair as he dodged her attack. She let out a battle cry as she charged in the same direction and swung down. Marluxia grabbed her keyblade before she could hit him. He kicked her in the stomach and tossed her keyblade onto the ground. Kairi skidded across the floor.

"Useless." Marluxia stalked towards her as she tried standing up. He grabbed her by the hair.

"You're wasting your time, weakling. The only use you have is that radiant heart of yours."

"I'm not weak!"

Marluxia narrowed his eyes.

_"...Then prove it."_

Marluxia gasped as Kairi's keyblade was suddenly in her hand. She lifted it up into the air.

_"Light!"_

Marluxia screamed in agony as a powerful blast of light erupted from Kairi's keyblade. The entire vicinity turned completely white, seeping into a few of the other floors as well. When it was over, Kairi fell to her knees from exhaustion. She looked over and saw Marluxia lying on the ground. He cackled weakly.

"...You're too late. The boy's memories have most likely been wiped by now..."

"What do you mean? I thought you couldn't do that because Sora would die!"

"...Is that what Namine told you...? She clearly doesn't know the full extent of her powers..."

"...He will simply be left as a hollow husk of himself. An empty heart, with no memories...easily moldable into whatever I want..." Marluxia clenched his trembling hand.

Kairi gasped. She left the room as quickly as possible. Marluxia saw his arm beginning to fade.

"...I suppose...we all underestimated her..." He closed his eyes as he disintegrated into nothingness.

\------------

Kairi burst through the door leading to the unfamiliar town. She had heard several loud voices from inside. She found herself in an area that she hadn't seen the first time: a large mansion with a black gate to keep intruders locked out. She covered her mouth in horror as she watched Larxene, Lexaeus, and Zexion fall on the ground.

"...Ugh...not...again..." Larxene said. The three of them disappeared.

Vexen, Axel, Goofy, Donald, and Riku were glaring at someone angrily. They all were bruised and injured. There was a mouse defending all of them with a keyblade of his own.

...Sora was the one they were staring at. He was holding his replica by the neck with a wild look in his eyes. Namine was curled up in a corner, shaking out of fear.

"Namine, you _imbecile!_ you were supposed to wipe his memories, not let him turn _against_ us!!!" Vexen hissed.

"...Sora!"

He craned his head towards Kairi. A wicked grin spread across his face.

His replica cried out for a split second as electricity surged through his body. Sora dropped him onto the ground and kicked him away.

_"NO!!!"_

Kairi stared in shock as Axel unexpextedly leaped towards the replica and grabbed him.

"Come on, come on...stay with me!" Axel lightly slapped the replica's face. His eyes opened a little.

"...Axel...I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. I just....wanted to make more friends...." the replica whispered.

"You _can_ make more friends. You don't need to go away!"

The replica shook his head.

"...I wasn't meant to exist. You know that as well as I do."

"Come on....don't say that!" Axel gritted his teeth.

"I-I know I'm the biggest jerk around, but even still. You were the only one that actually liked being around me."

"Oh, for goodness sake..." Vexen shook his head. "The puppet only acts that way because of copied memories that were implanted inside it. Of _course_ it's going to like being around you since you're the only one that treated it with common decency."

"...." Axel lowered his head.

"Hey. Don't be sad."

Axel looked away. The replica sighed and pointed at its chest.

"...I'm a part of Sora, even if I'm just a fake. So even if I go away...I won't really be gone. I'll just be a piece of him."

"...And...for what it's worth...I really enjoyed the time I spent with you guys." The replica smiled weakly and looked between Axel and Kairi.

"...Thank you. For being my friends."

Axel saw his friend glitch for a split second. He thoguht he saw a girl with black hair. The replica closed its eyes as its body turned into ice and floated up into the air.

Axel summoned his flaming chakrams. He looked up at Sora with fury in his eyes.

_"I'll destroy you for this!!!"_

"Axel, no!" Riku yelled. "Think about your friend!"

Axel dropped his weapons with a defeated expression.

"...I hate this feeling. Why can't I stop feeling it...?"

**_"...Pain. Regret. Loneliness. That's what you feel."_ **

"...Sora...?" Kairi looked up at him. His demeanor had changed as he stared at Axel with an amused expression.

**_"...Now you know...how I felt. Day after day, week after week, year after year...."_ **

_**"...Darkness. Then nothing. There was never enough light to compensate for it. So if all of you really want to understand...."**_ Sora raised his keyblade up.

**_"...Let me show you."_ **

Vexen let out a strangled cry. A strange creature had appeared and was squeezing him. It blew up abruptly, and they all covered their eyes. Just like that, Vexen was destroyed.

 ** _"...The Unversed. Courtesy of an old teacher."_** Sora smiled malevolently.

He waved his hand and sent the mouse flying backwards.

"Mickey!" Riku cried. He turned back to Sora and grimaced.

"Sora...you need to snap out of it!" Riku closed his hands into fists. "I know that this isn't you!"

"Riku!" Mickey reached out to him as Riku ran towards his friend. He was repelled by an invisble force surrounding Sora.

**_"The light doesn't suit you, Riku. Your lack of strength proves it. You should just go back to your old roots and join me."_ **

Riku got back up.

"...No. I won't use the darkness alone anymore. I'll use the light too..."

Riku pulled out his keyblade.

"...And forge my _own_ path!"

"...The road...to dawn..." Namine whispered between breaths.

Sora scoffed. **_"...You are a fool."_**

The two of them started fighting each other again. Kairi watched in silent terror as she feared for their lives. Each attack and every spell cast made her wince. Eventually, she couldn't take it anymore.

_"STOP IT!!!"_

The boys stopped and looked at her.

"Stop...stop fighting..." Kairi lowered her head.

"We shouldn't be fighting each other like this...it's wrong. Not everything needs to be resolved by hurting people..."

"...We can get along. We can help each other work through our problems. We're still _friends._ Aren't we...?"

Riku lowered his weapon. He looked over at Sora and realized he disappeared.

Kairi's eyes widened as Sora loomed above her.

**_"You need to stop talking."_ **

He reeled back faster than she could register and went for her chest. He stabbed someone.

...It wasn't Kairi.

Sora and Kairi stared in shock. His keyblade had gone through Namine. She shakily reached towards him and clutched the sides of his head.

_"...To find...is to lose...and to lose...is to find....regain what you have lost...and lose...what you found...."_

Sora fainted. His keyblade disappeared out of Namine's chest. She collapsed.

"Namine!" Kairi kneeled down and picked her up by the head.

"...Leave...this place...and forget what you have seen. That...is the way...of Castle Oblivion..." Namine closed her eyes.

Kairi gasped as Namine turned into light, then entered her body. Images flashed inside of Kairi's mind. The time she spent with Sora, his replica, and the soothing feeling she always felt whenever she drew.

"Kairi!" Riku rushed over to her and grabbed her shoulders. She was still shaking a little, and her appearance flickered between her own and Namine's for a second.

"Kairi...are you still you...?"

Kairi placed a hand on her head and nodded.

"...Yeah."

Riku helped her stand up, then he picked up Sora. He seemed to be asleep.

"...I guess...we do as she said. We leave Castle Oblivion. And this time _with_ Sora." Kairi let out a sigh of relief.

Riku nodded in agreement. "...Right."

"So you guys just forgot about me. I'm still standing here."

Kairi pulled out her keyblade. Axel chuckled and shrugged.

"...Eh, just keep him. I don't care how Xemnas and the others feel about it anyways. They'll find him sooner or later."

"... _If_ you can find a way to get him out without forgetting. That's the tricky part."

"Then tell us how!" Riku shouted.

Axel smiled.

"...You know what? I'm just not in the mood to give you kids a hint."

Axel opened a portal and disappeared into it. Kairi put her keyblade away.

"....I was hoping he would leave already." Donald crossed his arms.

Goofy raised an eyebrow. "Gawrsh, Donald...that's kinda harsh."

"Well, we've done all we can here. Let's go, fellas!" Mickey said with a smile on his face.

"But you heard what he said. If we leave the castle, Sora might slip away again and we won't remember it..." Riku looked down at his friend, who seemed a bit distressed as he slept.

Kairi seemed worried as well. "...Does that mean we can't leave? I don't want him to be here all alone..."

"...If I have to, I'll stay here for as long as it takes to get him out." Riku frowned.

Kairi smiled. "Me too."

"Gosh...you guys really want to protect him, dontcha?"

They looked at Mickey and nodded unanimously.

"...In that case, one of you can stay here with me. I still have some questions about this place. We'll make a letter for the person who leaves so they can have a small idea on what happened here."

"But Your Majesty!!!" Donald exclaimed. "We just found you! Do we really have to leave you again?!"

Mickey walked over to Goofy and Donald. He extended his hand towards them.

"Goofy...Donald...you're both my best pals. I know you'll find me again. All for one?"

Goofy and Donald laughed. They placed their hands on top of Mickey's.

"And one for all!!!" They shouted unanimously. They threw their hands up into the air. Mickey chuckled as Goofy and Donald saluted him. Riku smiled.

"I'll stay too, then. Kairi, you go on without me."

"Hold on a second! Why do I have to forget?"

"...Because. The worlds need a keyblade weilder like you right now. Someone who's sure of what the right path is." Riku closed his eyes momentarily.

"...I'm still figuring it out."

"...Are you sure...? I don't know if I'm exactly what the worlds need..." Kairi looked down.

"...Hey." Riku smiled at her. "Try to have a little more faith in what you can do."

"I'll keep believing in you. And I know that deep down...Sora will too."

"...Thanks, Riku." Kairi smiled back. "I'll do my best to not let either of you down."

Riku nodded. A faint smile formed on Sora's mouth.

"Good luck."

\---------

Kairi stared at the exit. She seemed worried.

"Kairi, do you have the letter?" Donald asked.

Kairi pulled it out of her pocket.

"...Yep." She put it back in.

"Let's go, then!" Goofy smiled as he started pushing on the door. Donald joined him.

"Come on, Kairi!" Goofy said.

She took a deep breath. Kairi ran over to it and helped them, until it finally opened. Donald and Goofy headed outside. Kairi hesitated for a second and looked back.

She saw Namine waving at her. Kairi blinked, and she was gone. She turned back around and took a step outside. She pictured Sora and Riku one last time in her mind as it all faded away.

_They're safe. That's all I need to know._


End file.
